Cement News tagged under: Environmental

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Aberthaw Cement used tyre burning plans, UK

20 December 2011, Published under Cement News

Aberthaw Cement Works in Wales, is considering the move to burn tyres as a source of fuel, thereby reducing costs and CO2 emissions. The move comes six years after the Lafarge Cement company began using meat and bone meal (MBM) from cows and sheep as a sustainable waste-derived fuel. Environment Agency Wales has granted permission for the company to "evaluate" the scheme, and equipment is being installed to use old tyres as fuel by next spring or summer.

CalPortland to pay EPA fine, USA

16 December 2011, Published under Cement News

A CalPortland cement plant near the high desert community of Mojave has agreed to pay a fine of US$1.4m and spend US$1.3m on equipment needed to reduce emissions of pollutants that cause asthma and generate smog, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday. The penalties were part of a settlement that capped an investigation by the EPA and the US Department of Justice into the CalPortland Co facility, one of the largest emitters of nitrogen oxide pollution in California. "Thi...

Calera raises US$10.6m in venture capital

15 December 2011, Published under Cement News

Calera, a developer of technology that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) into green building materials, has raised US$10.6m in a round of venture capital, according to a new filing by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Founded in 2007, Calera has developed technology that captures CO2 emissions from coal- or gas-fueled power facilities, cement plants and refineries, and converts it into solid carbonates that can be used as building materials in the form of aggregates or o...

Catalan companies assume new limits for pollution control

15 December 2011, Published under Cement News

Catalan cement companies have signed a new voluntary agreement with the Government by which they assume more stringent emissions limits of particulates and nitrogen oxides, two major pollutants that affect the metropolitan area of Barcelona. The cement sector aims to reduce the environmental impact of its activities with the use of new technologies and the progressive increase of alternative fuels, helping to reduce CO2 emissions significantly. These are the fundamental objectives of the s...

CISWI, Non-Hazardous Solid Waste Rules Reproposed

06 December 2011, Published under Cement News

On December 2, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released reproposed standards for industrial boilers (the Boiler MACT rule), commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators (CISWI), and revisions to the list of non-hazardous secondary materials (the Solid Waste definition). The new standards adjust emissions limits for waste-burning cement kilns and for energy recovery units. EPA is also proposing revisions to its final rule, which identified the types of non-hazardous secon...

EPA fines Lafarge for violation of Clean Water Act

04 December 2011, Published under Cement News

The EPA announced a US$740,000 settlement on November 29, 2011, with Lafarge North America for alleged Clean Water Act violations in Colorado, Maryland, Alabama, Georgia and New York.

 The violations include unpermitted discharge of storm water at 21 stone, gravel, sand, asphalt and ready-mix concrete facilities across the country.

The Lafarge Plant in Ravena is not involved in the settlement.

 The  EPA touted the settlement as "The latest in a series of federal enforcement actions to a...

Lehigh plant gets tentative permit to burn new source

03 December 2011, Published under Cement News

The Lehigh Northeast Cement Co. plant tested the alternative material — sold by International Paper Co under the brand name Enviro-Fuel Cubes — last autumn, and found it reduced air pollution from sulfur dioxide,  Lisa King, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said Friday. However, emission tests on the fuel cubes also showed "minor increases" in dioxin, a carcinogen related to chlorine, and furans, another dangerous chlorine-related chemical, as well as sm...

UK Cement Industry continues to beat its environmental performance targets

02 December 2011, Published under Cement News

“A landmark for the cement industry” was how Dr Pal Chana, executive director of the Mineral Products Association (MPA), described the industry’s performance against its Environment Agency agreed Sector Plan targets for 2010. In 2005, MPA Cement members entered into an historic five year environmental performance programme with the Environment Agency setting demanding targets to be met by 2010. The ‘Cement Industry Sector Plan’ has the primary objective to deliver improved performance in a ...

USA: Buzzi Unicem holds meeting on hazardous waste burning permit

01 December 2011, Published under Cement News

Buzzi Unicem will invest more than US$1.5m in upgrades to its Cape Girardeau cement plant in Missouri if changes to its hazardous waste permit are approved. During an informational meeting Wednesday, company representatives along with Missouri Department of Natural Resources and EPA officials answered questions about the company’s plans to burn more hazardous waste in the future. About 25 people attended the meeting. For about 20 years, the company, formerly known as Lonestar Industries, h...

Algae.Tec launches its first biofuels facility with Holcim Lanka

01 December 2011, Published under Cement News

Algae.Tec has signed a collaboration agreement with Holcim Lanka Limited to build its first algae biofuels production facility in Asia that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cement manufacturing. Algae.Tec is an advanced algae to biofuels company with a high-yield enclosed algae growth and harvesting system designed to capture carbon from carbon emitting companies and industries. Holcim Lanka has agreed to build the facility in Sri Lanka in conjunction with Alga.Tec as its technolog...